Customer Reviews

The Horror of Party Beach / The Curse of the Living Corpse (Del Tenney Double Feature)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This no-frills disc features two of Del Tenney's more memorable b&w low budget films. The first, "Horror of Party Beach", tells of radioactive spillage off a seaport coast spawning ridiculous looking monsters who proceed to decimate the town's young female population. In one scene, a whole slumber party is slaughtered---(20 girls, count 'em) and the chocolate syrup gets smeared all over. It's supposed to be blood, but that's what it looks like in b&w. Anyway, there's lots of "rock'n roll" by The Del-Aires, lots of silly dancing on the beach by "teens" and that scene stealer Eulabelle Moore (Eulabelle the maid) and her voodoo doll. So inept, so badly acted (except for Eulabelle) and so bad period that it's hilarious. However, Tenney's other feature "Curse of the Living Corpse" is the exact opposite. It's a well acted Gothic horror film that rises above it's low budget and features non-other than Roy Scheider (billed as Roy R. Scheider) in a very early role and Candace Hilligoss ("Carnival of Souls") as members of a family in 1892 New England stalked and murdered by a masked madman who may or not be the deceased patriarch come back from the grave for the family violating his will. One by one, as stipulated in the will, they die by the means they fear most---disfigurement, fire, drowning, suffocation etc. Pretty good stuff. And a surprising bath scene with actress Margot Hartman showing a little more skin than was the norm at the time (1963-64). The print has mild flaws that do not distract and the prints of both films are better than average. There's also an interview and audio commentary with Del Tenney included as extras. Worth owning just for "Curse" alone. Enjoy.

It's been said that films like these don't appeal to anyone but the public, since critics line up to tear them apart, but they do offer fun if you're in the mood. (Horror of Party Beach is by far the more entertaining of the two, this being the elusive uncut version with all the gore intact (an unbearable toned-down version has been making the video and TV station rounds for years). Both films look and sound as good as they ever have; extras include trailers, photos, audio commentary and interviews.

Catering to the owners of the new widescreen televisions, the manufacturers of many DVDs these days are presenting films (like these), which were originally filmed in standard-format, in FAKE "widescreen"--which essentially consists of lopping the tops and bottoms off the original prints (thus leaving many of the actors with half-faces and no feet!)! It is especially notable on this particular DVD as the CREDITS for both films have been "mini-boxed" in their ORIGINAL format. The movies themselves are nostalgic, fun-filled SCHLOCK, but I love them anyway. I would have loved this DVD version of them more, however, if they had been preserved in their original film ratio. I'm amazed that producer/director Del Tenney allowed this bastardization of his films to occur (he's a participant in the project, offering commentary, etc.) but, then again, the producers of the DVD probably gave him a monetary "offer he couldn't refuse". It's sad that the owners of widescreen televisions would apparently rather see their bloated screens filled from side-to-side, than enjoy movies as originally filmed--a disturbing trend, indeed, for a film purist like me. 5 stars for FUN, 1 star for presentation = 3 stars.

Well this film brings back memories of watching the televison show Creature Features with host Bob Wilkins. The film Horror At Part Beach was a staple film of the show. The film's creatures are as scary as I remember them as a kid. This film is a cult classic. And should be part of every horror fans collection... I just love the film... Thank God I found this film. I had been searching for it for a couple of years and was happy to finally see that Amazon was offering not only Horror At Party Beach, but all of Del Tenny's Films. What a treat!

I intended to purchase these movies seperately, but if they were offered in a combo, then even better! In the special features there is a photo of a marquee over a cinema complex. These movies actually did show together as a double feature. I will review each movie seperately.....

Horror at Beach Party is a great old monster flick. A beach party is put to a halt after a girl is killed by a radioactive monster. Man that beach party was rockin' too. Check out some of those dancers, like the dude dancing in his Euro-underwear, what a fairy. Biker gang leaders danced back then too. And the band was awesome, on rhythm guitar looked like Buddy Holly's little brother. And the lead singer rocked, it's amazing how loud his voice was with no microphone. Come to think of it I didn't see any guitar amps either. Oh well. The monsters came about from a barrel of toxic waste that was dumped overboard and opened on top of a shipwreck. The monsters look a little like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but with Cookie Monster eyes and these ginat hotdogs shoved in their mouths.

They need human blood to survive, but it seems they prefer female blood. That is why the attack all girl slumber parties, and New York girls on a road trip. But never fear, a scientist figures out how to kill them. He ignores the advice of his Aunt Jemimah housekeeper ("It's voodoo, dat's wut it is") and discovers that th emonsters can be killed by sodium. So the climax of the movie is sodium being thrown at mutants and watching them explode. Now I know that if you touch pure sodium it burns, so they must have made grenades or something.

Curse of the Living Corpse is a great flick. This is your daddy's slasher flick. A rich dude named Rufus dies and demands certain criteria for his funeral and burial. He was terrified of being alive, so he left instructions that his vault be left unlocked, the torches are always lit, etc. Of course his family ignores all this because they are in a hurry to have the will read. The will says that if his instructions are not followed, he will return and each of them will die in the way they fear most (drowning, fire, etc.) So of course a mysterious figure goes around killing people. There are some greta kills here, like the severed head breakfast platter. The nude drowning scene in the bathtub was probably watched very very closely by the sensors a couple of times. This is as close to a nude scene as you can get without it being a nude scene.

The reason I really wanted this movie was because Candace Holligoss was in it. I loved her in Carnival of Souls, and this is her only other movie. I can't believe such a beautiful woman did not make any more films. She is so hot. If you like her, you got to see her in this flick all decked out in her Victorian duds. She doesn't have a very big part, which was a little disappointing for me, but she makes the most of every bit of screen time. I am so used to her being in almost every frame of Carnival of Souls, that it was strange to see her in a movie that did not revolve around her.

So anyway, you get two great old movies on one SINGLE sided DVD. Fire up the player, make the popcorn and have a great Saturday night on the couch with your honey!

I had always seen pictures of the monsters from Horror at Party Beach in my Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazines from the 60's, but I had never seen the film in its entirety until watching this impressive DVD release for these two fun low budget, but effective films. First up 'Horror at Party Beach' is well........just what the title suggests! It's got "rock N roll", its got absurd looking monsters and its got swingin' chicks and brawlin' dudes, lovin' and fightin' all in a wild beach setting!

What I liked about this film was that despite its low budget, it did deliver what it promised. First off, the monsters look like a combination of Freddy the Frog from New Zoo Revue with a bunch of hot dogs sticking out of their mouths with the body of the Sleestacks from Saturday Morning TV's 'Land Of The Lost' and scales from Sigmund from 'Sigmund And The Sea monsters. Amazingly the monster scenes are handled well with atmospheric and creepy music. It's fairly effective despite the actual appearance of these goofy looking sea monsters.

The film is loaded with rock music supplied by a Beach Boys wannabe band, which is hilarious. The print of the film looks very clean and probably never looked this good. Even better there is commentary for both films, trailers, stills gallery and an interview with Del Tenny himself. If only all low budget horror got this treatment!

The second film was one I never heard of and although an interesting film for being a really early slasher, I felt it to be a bit stiff and lacking atmosphere. It's a good film, but not the gothic horror film I was thinking it would be. I don't want to spoil the film for anyone who hasn't seen it, but I knew the murders weren't caused by the living corpse all along, so the film suffered because of it. It was interesting to see Roy Scheider(Jaws)in an early role though. Overall this is a great set for fans of such things, but be aware there is a triple feature of Del Tenney films now available with the film Violent Midnight added. I don't know if the extras are carried over from this release, but if they are I may have to upgrade.

1) Horror At Party Beach - 4 stars for hokey fun!
2) The Curse Of The Living Corpse - 3 stars

This review applies to 'Curse of the Living Corpse' only.

I found this B&W '63 drive-in genre movie rather difficult to assign a star rating because, today, this one is clearly a CULT FILM and peoples' opinions are going to vary widely.

Roy Scheider, the only real star in this one, was subsequently type-cast, (especially by "Jaws"), and here, in what was surely a very early career entry, he plays a divergent role as the family drunk and weakling.

The story, which takes place in 1898, (I'd guess the location is supposed to be western Europe somewhere, maybe England), is about a rotten and rich old patriarch who suffers from catylepsy and, following the pronouncement of his death by the oldest son who is a very cheesy and unethical doctor, the family hurriedly secures his casket in a masauleum. They quickly want RID of all traces of the old scoundrel as he has tormented each of them unmercifully over the years. Since the aged bugger was always terrified of being buried alive, in his will he had assigned each and every family member, as well as a trusted servant, a little task which would allow him to escape his tomb in case he might not really have died. The family, for the most part, is as rotten as was the old man and they promptly ignore his testamentary directives, much to the consternation of the family lawyer, the controller of the family money, and who hangs around the mansion all the time.

Stated in the old man's will was also a direct threat against each family member who failed to carry out his assigned task, (e.g., "Don't lock the masauleum door!"), in addition to their being financially cut out of the will: the daughter fears water, the widow fears fire, the doctor-son fears disfigurement, etc. So, you pretty much KNOW, right off the bat, what's going to happen to these folks.

About halfway through the film, a buffoon of a police inspector is called in to investigate the deaths that have transpired so far, and he's assisted by his equally inept constable. These two also hang around the old mansion to make sure that there are no more murders, albeit they are not very successful in this endeavor.

About the only bright figures among the family spore are a nephew and his pretty wife, both of whom the old man apparently liked somewhat -- but even these two are still under the testamentary threat just like the rest of the clan. Still, the viewing audience at least has someone to root for, which generates some additional subtle level of suspense.

The murder-fare includes a chopped off head, some very nasty quicksand, and various other vehicles of horrific death. We're also treated to the old secret panel in the library and, the eyes peeping from behind the portrait routines. The 'Living Corpse' slinks around wearing a long cape and his face is covered by a black scarf, revealing only his eyes... sort of a Bela Lugosi 'Plan 9' look.

The biggest actual problem with this film is that the director chose to make the horror/mystery facet serious, and the police activities as a tongue-in-cheek operation -- in this movie, the two concepts fail to mesh. Beyond that, the cinematography is pretty darn good, and the sets are really tops, all of which helps to save the film. Also, Scheider is pretty convincing in his role which also aids in carrying the film.

Finally, this flick really doesn't drag at any point which is an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise. This movie's not as good as an early Roger Corman film (e.g., "Dementia 13"), but it's okay.
If you're not into horror/mystery cult films, skip this one. If you're a fan of such productions then you'll probably enjoy it as I did.

Yes, at long last, Del Tenney's classic drive-in double feature is here! I first saw these over 30 years ago on late night horror television. Now, they are on DVD in beautiful uncut versions! HORROR OF PARTY BEACH concerns nuclear waste turning underwater corpses into an army of google-eyed bloodsuckers! Watch as they kill unsuspecting 30 year old teenagers! Witness the world's first beach-party w/ hodads vs. bikers in an acrobatic battle complete w/ tumbling men and groovy music (including the hideously catchy "ZOMBIE STOMP")! I love this stuff! CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE has Roy Scheider in his debut role. Set in 1892 New England, COTLC is about a zillionaire who leaves his family his fortune, only if they follow strict conditions. Of course, they all fail miserably and wind up croaking one by one! This isn't a bad little chiller considering it's age and lack of budget. The lovely, enigmatic, Candace Hilligoss appears in this, her only other movie besides CARNIVAL OF SOULS. Grab this double bill quick, before it sinks back into oblivion!...

<May Have spoilers> In the early 60's my cousins and I sat on blankets at a Stamford Connecticut Drive-In to see the "Horror Of Party Beach". We were there because we knew that our Uncle Ed and Henry were not only extras but had actual speaking parts. In the interview with Del Tenney he mentions how he let the actors "act" with minimal direction. My uncles were not professional actors but electrical engineers that took the work between jobs. It's sad that they didn't get in the credits. Ed was a creditable detective (he had a detective type hat and a skinny tie). He investigated the first murder and told the inspector that the killer must have come from the sea (or Long Island Sound). When the inspector scoffed at that report, Uncle Henry (as a scientific type) jumped to his defense and speculated that it might have been "A wild shark or something".

We often wondered that if a young Steven Spielburg had been inspired to bring Jaws to the screen after seeing this scene. This is fine movie, but you need a "Strong Heart and Nerves of Steel" to watch it

Horror of Party Beach what a classic. This movie is ahead of its time. Toxic waste dumped into the ocean turn human skeletons into mutants. The kill scenes are pretty gory, and the women. They are more lose in this film. Unlike Universal Monsters films. Remember seeing this classic on tv years back. Great late night watch. Curse of the living corpse is also good.